DISASTER RESPONSE EXERCISE SIMULATES EARTHQUAKE THE VOLUNTEER STATE guard magazine JFHQ 101 A TWO PART SERIES FOCUSED ON THE HISTORY OF TENNESSEE’S JOINT FORCE HEADQUARTERS SPOTLIGHT ON LEADERSHIP - FORGING FRIEND- INTERVIEW WITH COL SHIPS THROUGH DARNBUSH OF THE TENNESSEE 278TH ARMORED CAV NATIONAL GUARD YOUTH CAMPS THE VOLUNTEER STATE GUARD MAGAZINE INSIDE THIS ISSUE JFHQ 101 SHARE YOUR PAGE 8 STORY! Contact us at [email protected] EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MAJ (Ret.) Randy Harris SENIOR EDITOR Rob Pennington ART DIRECTOR Rob Pennington PHOTO EDITING Rob Pennington, SPC Chris Daily PHOTOGRAPHY MAJ (Ret.) Randy Harris, PREPARING FOR DISASTER CW4 Nick Atwood, PAGE 13 Lt. Col. (Ret) Niki Gentry, SFC (Ret) John Evans, CW2 Emily Wiest, SMSgt Paul Mann, MSgt Robin Olsen, SGT Paul Banks, Sr. SPC Chris Daley, PAGE 16 SGT Art Guzman SSG Melissa Wood, SFC Matthew Zier, PAGE 10 PAGE 17 WRITERS MAJ (Ret.) Randy Harris, Lt. Col. (Ret) Niki Gentry, SMSgt Paul Mann, MSgt Robin Olsen, SFC Matthew Zier, SSG Melisa Washington, Rob Pennington PAGE 18 VolState Guard is published to provide command and public informa- PAGE 19 tion about Tennessee Guard Soldiers and Airmen throughout the world. Views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official view of and it is not endorsed by the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense or the Departments of the Army and the Air Force. This publication does not supersede any information presented in any other official Air or Army publication. Articles, photos, artwork and letters are invited and should be addressed to: Editor, The Volunteer State Guard, 3041 Sidco Dr., Attn: TNPAO, Nashville, TN 37204. For more information, the staff can be reached by telephone (615) 313- 0633, or by email to [email protected]. The Volunteer State Guard re- serves the right to edit all material. Published works may be reprinted, except where copyrighted, provided credit is given to The Volunteer State Guard and the authors. Distribution of the The Volunteer State PAGE 11 PAGE 12 Guard is electronic and can be downloaded at: http://www.tnmilitary.org 2 VSGM FALL 2014 COL DENSON TREE PLANTING TENNESSEE Soldiers from the Tennessee Army National Guard plant a Bur Oak tree in SNAPSHOT honor of COL (Ret.) Donnie Denson at Joint Force Headquarters, April 30th, 2014. PHOTO BY: SSG Melissa Wood 3 VSGM FALL 2014 MEMORIAL DAY 2014 TENNESSEE Governor Bill Haslam presents flags and state flowers to the families of fallen SNAPSHOT Tennessee servicemembers during Memorial Day services at Legislative Plaza in Nashville, Tenn., May 23, 2014. PHOTO BY: SSG Melissa Wood 4 VSGM FALL 2014 RANGE TRAINING TENNESSEE Soldiers from the 230th Sustainment Brigade prepare for annual weapons SNAPSHOT qualification at the range on the Volunteer Training Site - Tullahoma, Tenn., May 3, 2014. PHOTO BY: SGT Paul C. Banks Sr. 5 VSGM FALL 2014 WELCOME HOME 181ST TENNESSEE The 1-181st Field Artillery Battalion returned home from deployment in sup- SNAPSHOT port of Operation Enduring Freedom, June 17, 2014. PHOTO BY: SPC Chris Daley 6 VSGM FALL 2014 InformationState Sponsored Technology Life Solutions Insurance Planning for the BENEFITS 1. Total NGAT Unexpected group claim paid in IsIs your your family family able able to to pay pay forfor youryour funeralfuneral and householdhouse hold expensesexpenses once once your you areare gone? gone? 24 hours Although funeral prices vary considerably between funeral homes and geographic areas of the country, here is a reasonable “ballpark” estimate 2. Payroll deduction of the main costs that are involved: from your military check 1. fee for thethe funeralfuneral director’sdirector’s services:services: $1,800$1,800 2. cost for aa casket:casket: $2,300$2,300 3. embalming: $625$625 3. Life insurance 4. cost for usingusing thethe funeralfuneral homehome forfor funeralfuneral service: service: $500$500 payable in event of 5. cost of aa gravegrave site:site: $1,000$1,000 death from any 6. cost to digdig thethe grave:grave: $600$600 cause 7. cost of aa gravegrave linerliner oror outerouter burialburial container:container: $1,000$1,000 8. cost of aa headstone:headstone: $1,500$1,500 4. Coverage is 24 9. hearseHurst services: services: $275$275 hours a day, 365 days a year TOTAL: $9,600 That’s just for the “main” items. There could be additional charges for 5. No war or suicide things like placing the obituary in the newspaper and buying flowers. clause, aviation State Sponsored Life Insurance (SSLI) is a program that provides group term life exclusion, nor insurance exclusively for National Guard members and their dependents. hazardous duty or COVERAGE civilian occupation MEMBER SPOUSE DEPENDENT restriction AMOUNT $50,000 $20.40 6. Keep insurance $35,000 $14.40 after you discharge, $25,000 $10.40 $10.40 premiums will not $20,000 $8.40 change $10,000 $4.40 $4.40 $6.70 $5,000 $2.40 $3.35 If interested in applying for Group Life Insurance Please feel free to contact Julie Longard, Insurance Administrator at 615-833-9100 or [email protected] 7 VSGM FALL 2014 PART 1 OF A 2 PART SERIES JFHQ 101 The Military History of the Sidco Drive Area by MAJ (Ret) Randy D. Harris - Director, Joint Public Affairs & Strategic Communications (Above) The Sidco Drive Area Barracks housed Nashville area military veterans and their families when they needed a place to live. n 1942, the area south of Thompson houses, drill fields, pistol ranges, and rows Radnor Yards. After proposal in 1942, it Lane became the Classification Center of barracks with nearby wash houses to was rushed into construction under the di- for the U.S. Army Air Corps. Towards provide showers and toilets at its peak. rection of the Nashville Architectural firms the end of World War II, and up until The $5 million dollar facility was two of Warfield & Keeble and Foster & Creigh- IOct 1, 1945, it was the Separation Center miles long and accommodated 10,000 ca- ton, and accepted its first cadets in mid July for the U.S. Navy. Now the hill overlooking dets, 500 enlisted Soldiers and 200 Officers. of that same year. Powell Avenue and Sidco Drive is the home After expansion, the capacity was reported Nashville’s City Council had quickly of the Tennessee National Guard Head- by the media of over 30,000. approved contracts with the federal govern- quarters, Houston Barracks. The Maj. Gen. The military complex sprawled over as ment to provide water, sewer and electric Hugh B. Mott National Guard Headquar- many as 560 acres starting in 1942. The services. The sites proximity to the rail ters, and the Clement-Nunnally Armory hundreds of barracks and buildings were lines at Radnor Yards was also considered a dominate the area south of Armory Drive intended to be temporary , mostly sided plus. to the intersection of Powell and Sidco. with nothing but tar-paper, which stayed in The role of the Classification Center was The World War II complex had at least use as long as ten years. evaluation of skills and aptitudes before 14 Mess Halls, fire halls, recreation halls, In the beginning, the center was seen classifying cadets as pilots, navigators or two theaters, a chapel, school, library, ware- as a great addition to the Nashville area at bombardiers. The process took from a mat- 8 VSGM FALL 2014 JFHQ 101 ter of days to a few weeks. events, more than 400 Nashvillians opened After the Navy’s use, late in 1945, the Pilot candidates were then sent to Max- their homes to provide rooms. complex took on a third role housing the well Field (now Maxwell Air Force Base) in The arrival of 86 enlisted men in April Nashville area’s military veterans who need- Alabama for training, bombardiers to Santa of 1944 marked the first group of Army ed a place to live. About 800 families ended Anna, Calif., and navigators to Monroe, La. Air Corps casualties being placed in a new up here. The barracks were divided into two Candidates recalled that the Psychologi- convalescent centers developed on the site. family dwellings. The tar paper was peeling cal tests were the most feared. They flew in to Berry Field and were trans- outside, but to the families , it was home. “There were questions such as, ‘What would you do if you were driving a military truck with a load of GIs in the back and a little girl ran in front of you. Would you turn quickly and risk injuring the passen- gers in the back, or would you hit the girl?” A Women’s Army Corps (WAC) con- tingent was added by 1943, and brought females into the classification center mix. They performed mostly clerical duties which freed male Soldiers for foreign service. The center’s 1,000 personnel were about 60 percent women at this time. The Nashville community was aided in several ways by the center. When it was discovered that no one had thought to Barracks were divided into two family provide clothes hangers, a public drive to dwellings, tar paper was peeling out- supply them was launched. When Soldier’s relatives would visit for holidays or other side, but to the families, it was home. ported to their wards by ambulance and The $15 monthly rent included electricity staff cars. and water. A coal stove provided heat, a When the war ended, the Classification wood stove was there for cooking, and the Center was transformed into the Naval Per- kitchen had a sink with running water. For sonnel Separation Center , one of only five bathing, washing clothes and toilet needs, in the country.